Coromandel has welcomed the return of the Summer Concert Tour with Cold Chisel, Icehouse, Bic Runga, and Everclear taking the stage in Whitianga.

It was good news as uncertainty over the Coromandel roading network left Whitianga off the Summer Concert Tour for a second year in a row in 2024.

Organisers confirmed that the 2025 tour attracted 40,000 people to shows held in Queenstown, Taupō and Whitianga over the last two weekends.

Weather forecasts threatened to put a dampener on the Whitianga leg of the tour yesterday as the Coromandel was hit by storms early in the day.

The starting time was delayed by one hour due to the rain.

However, fine spells persisted, and thousands poured into Whitianga Waterways.

Bic Runga entertains the crowd. Photo / Al Williams

There would have been significant economic benefits for the town and wider Coromandel over the long weekend.

At a glance, inside the venue, merchandising, catering, and hospitality all benefitted.

The crowd was steady throughout the day, well-behaved, and eager to sing along.

Opening act Vegas Brown suffered some issues at the end of their set as the sound went down.

Everclear shared a lot of banter with the audience during an enthusiastic set, while Bic Runga was less about the show and more about the music.

Icehouse glowed with a multimedia spectacular which included scenic footage of Australia during their anthemic Great Southern Land.

The crowd were keen to sing along. Photo / Al Williams

I was fortunate to get a spot at the sound desk during their first couple of songs for a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes.

Crowd favourites Cold Chisel lifted the venue as frontman Jimmy Barnes exercised his powerful vocal cords.

At the close of the tour, Greenstone Entertainment chief executive Amanda Calvert said: “Our heartfelt thanks to all the incredible artists who performed on the 15th anniversary Summer Concert Tour.

“Cold Chisel who bought their milestone ‘The Big-50′ tour to New Zealand; Icehouse who joined us for one more ride following their 2017 run; and to our new friends, Everclear and Bic Runga, we had a blast.

“And, special thanks to the 40,000 fans who sang and danced their days off, we are endlessly grateful for your continued support. We look forward to bringing you another epic line-up of artists in 2026, so stay tuned.”

The Whitianga leg of the 2023 tour was cancelled after extensive damage to State Highway 25A from severe weather.

As the Coromandel worked hard to fix its infrastructure after the severe weather, Cyclone Gabrielle blew a big event opportunity Hamilton’s way.

The Hamilton concert in 2024 was a one-off and was not repeated in 2025.